Tombow Irojiten Color Dictionary Review | Tombow Irojiten Colored Pencils
Tombow Irojiten Color Dictionary Review
Right back when I first started out doing colored pencil reviews, the Tombow Irojiten colored pencils were among some of the first sets that I reviewed, however, since then, almost six years worth of studying, learning, researching and testing art supplies, I have learnt so much more. Not only has my knowledge increased but also the quality of my reviews in so much as I actually add artwork using the products and thanks to so many generous donations, my video quality and audio quality has also improved and so I wanted to give these wonderful colored pencils a fair shout.
Aside from creating a refreshed review for the Tombow Irojiten Colored Pencils, there is actually quite a bit of additional information that I want to add, not to mention with this review of the Tombow Irojiten, I have completed artwork using the pencils and so hopefully the artwork will help you get a better perspective for what the Tombow Irojiten Colored Pencils are capable of on the right paper.
Tombow Irojiten Characteristics
Way back when I completed the first review of the Tombow Irojiten, there was 90 colors in the set, that is, three individual boxes of 30, however, now Tombow have added an additional 10 colors bringing the total count up to 100. As of yet the, individual ten colors are only sold individually, given the nature of the Tombow Irojiten packaging, which we will get to in a minute, it is highly unlikely that Tombow will produce a complete 100 set.
If you cast your mind back a few reviews ago, I completed reviews of the Phoenixcolor and Marco Tribute Colored Pencils, both of those sets were packaged in booklet type boxes making the over all sets incredibly attractive. However, I think it is fair to say that the Tombow Irojiten Color Dictionary collection was the very first sets of colored pencils to come packaged in something other than a tin.
As I mentioned, there are three boxes of Tombow Irojiten, inside each box there are 30 colored pencils, but each box contains three smaller boxes that are designed to resemble books and inside each book there are 10 Tombow Irojiten.
Before we get to the pencils in the three boxes, lets take a look at the 10 extra colors Tombow have introduced to the range making it 100. I don’t think the 10 extra colors are really new, I think they have been about for a while, nevertheless, they weren’t about when completed the review of the Tombow Irojiten first time round. The colors are 1. Scarlet, 2. Yolk Yellow, 3. Scouring Bush, 4. Deep Sea, 5. Wild Grape, 6. Anemone Pink, 7. Peony Pink, 8. Russet Brown, 9. Sepia and 10. Silver Grey. I will talk more about the alpha numeric numbers on the pencils later.
Rainforest Tombow Collection - Box 1 With Volumes 1, 2 and 3
As I mentioned, each box has three books of 10 pencils inside them, the first box which is officially called the “Rainforest Set, also sports a beautiful illustration of a Kingfisher on the spine of the box. Inside box One is Volume 1 - Pale Tone I, Volume 2 - Vivid Tone I and Volume 3 - Deep Tone I
Spine of Tombow Irojiten Box 1
Front Image of Tombow Irojiten Box 1
I have provided a full swatch of all the colors in correct order further into the review, you can see all the colors available in each set on the swatch, however, from the images you can also see images of the actual pencils.
All three book boxes from box 1
Tombow Irojiten Vol.1 - Pale Tone I
Tombow Irojiten Volume 1 - Pale Tone I
Tombow Irojiten Vol. 2 - Vivd Tone I
Tombow Irojiten Volume 2 - Vivid Tone I
Tombow Irojiten Vol. 3 - Deep Tone I
Tombow Irojiten Volume 3 - Deep Tone I
The image below is all three boxes from the Rainforest collection, box 1. As you can see from the images of the individual boxes displaying the Tombow Irojiten colored pencils, you can clearly see that the pigment names are printed on the inside lid of the booklet boxes.
Volumes 1, 2 and 3 from the Rainforest Collection Box 1
Woodlands Tombow Collection - Box 2 With Volumes 4, 5 and 6
Spine of Tombow Irojiten Box 2
Front Image of Tombow Irojiten Box 2
The next box is of course box 2 or also known as the Woodland Collection, inside this box are three individual boxes sporting 10 Tombow Irojiten pencils each, Volumes 4, 5 and 6. As you can see from the images below, Vol 4 Pale Tone II is a continuation on from Vol 1. Pale Tone I and the same for Vol. 5 Deep Tone II being a continuation of Vol 3. Deep Tone I.
All 3 Volumes of Box 2 Closed - Tombow Irojiten Volumes 4, 5 and 6
Tombow Irojiten Vol. 4 - Pale Tone II
Tombow Irojiten Volume 4 Pale Tone II
Tombow Irojiten Vol. 5 - Deep Tone II
Tombow Irojiten Volume 5 Deep Tone II
Tombow Irojiten Vol. 6 - Light Grayish Tone I
Tombow Irojiten Volume 6 Light Grayish Tone I
Tombow Irojiten Volumes 4, 5 and 6 Open Boxes.
Seascape Tombow Collection - Box 3 With Volumes 7, 8 and 9
This is the final box, Tombow Irojiten box 3 which is also known as Seascape Collection, which holds Volumes 7, 8 and 9.
Tombow Irojiten Vol. 7 - Fluorescence
Tombow Irojiten Vol. 7 - Fluorescence
Tombow Irojiten Vol. 8 - Very Pale Tone
Tombow Irojiten Vol. 8 - Very Pale Tone
Tombow Irojiten Vol. 9 - Dull Tone
Tombow Irojiten Vol. 8 - Very Pale Tone
Seascape Tombow Collection - Box 3 With Volumes 7, 8 and 9
The Tombow Irojiten pencils themselves are actually really sophisticated looking, if there is such a thing of a pencil looking sophisticated. The barrel of the Tombow Irojiten pencil is this beautiful brilliant white barrel, which I am sure on its own would appear, monotonous and bland, however, with each barrel capped by an inch pigment identifier, each pigment identifier is accentuated against the brilliant white, resembling a glow stick or Christmas Tree fairy light.
The Tombow Irojiten barrel is quite slim, starting with the slimline 2.9mm core, encased in a 7.7mm brilliant white barrel. The core of the Tombow Irojiten sharpens really well, I have sharpened every pencil in the 100 range and not a one of them caused an issue.
Along one side of the Irojiten is printed an alphanumerical number quickly followed by the gorgeous Tombow Dragonfly logo and then the “Tombow” name. On the opposite side of the pencil is printed the pigment name, this is followed again by another alphanumerical number, which I will discuss further into the review.
Finally, on the very end of each Tombow Irojiten colored pencil, where the pigment identifier is, there is printed “Irojiten”. As is the case with so many colored pencils, the print along the barrel of the pencils is in silver leaf and against the back drop of the white barrel, reading the print can be difficult at times.
Tombow Irojiten Colored Pencils Performance
For the last three years now, or there about’s, I have stopped referring to colored pencil as wax or oil, the reason for this is very simple. When I first started out reviewing colored pencils, I would contact the companies about the product, but often, I would get through to a customer service representative who didn’t really know much about the details of the product. Often you could ask on the Monday if a pencil was Wax or Oil and be told Oil, you could call the same number three days later and be told Wax to the same question.
This was not the fault of the companies or anything like that, the customer service representatives were more there to answer questions about pricing, set sizes etc. Regardless, I would complete the review and label the pencil wax or oil, this resulted in the comment section erupting in half agreeing with my take and the other half telling me that the pencils were the opposite of what I wrote. This frustrated me because I wanted to add the most detailed reviews I could and this was not happening.
I eventually, after years of sending emails and begging, was able to communicate with Chemists from two of the biggest Colored Pencil companies on the market. I asked them both, at separate times, how to tell if a pencil was wax or oil based and both told me there was no such thing. I was told that more often than not, all colored pencils are made with wax and oil, just various levels of both ingredients and also different types of wax, as well as many other variables making up the hardness or softness of the pencil core.
From this point on I decided to describe the colored pencil cores as I find them, in other words how hard or soft I found the pencil, how well the core blended etc. The Tombow Irojiten Colored Pencil core is quite a hard core and not terribly pigmented, however, this is were the surface used is of utmost importance to the art supplies outcome.
I tested the TomBow Irojiten Colored Pencils on Bristol Smooth paper at first and the end result were not much to write home about, layering was not good and layering was quite limited. The next test I completed was the swatch and I completed this on Strathmore Bristol Velum paper which has slightly more tooth to the surface than its Bristol Smooth counterpart. For this test the Tombow Irojiten Colored Pencils performed so much better than on the smooth paper
Incidentally, as you can see in the swatches supplied, I have categorised the swatches according to the boxes they are in and of course the 10 extra colors included into the range by Tombow. You will also notice that the alphanumerical number on the swatches are the same numbers on the Tombow Irojiten barrel beside the pigment name and this number explains what bow the pencil belongs to and what Volume the pencil should also be in.
Layer and Blending Test
With this group of tests, I used a mixed media paper, Clairefontaine Paint On Mixed Media Paper, again, another paper with texture, slightly more texture than the Bristol Velum and significantly more than the Bristol Smooth.
The first test is the layer test, I always complete this test in the same sequence. Each column from 1 to 5 has applied to it a single light layer, so the first column has one light layer, the second column has two light layers all the way to the fifth column. The last column for each color displays a single heavy application of color.
It is worth mentioning that the light layers are applied with basically the weight of the pencil touching the paper as I apply the layer by holding the very end of the pencil. On the Mixed Media paper, the Irojiten layered beautifully, there was no real resistance all the way up to the fifth layer. Incidentally, five layers are applied in this test as it is widely considered by colored pencil artists using odourless mineral spirits, approximately five layers should be applied to get the best results from OMS.
The next test is the blending test, all on the same Mixed Media paper, the purpose of this test is to hopefully blend two colors together in order to achieve a third color. Hopefully you can clearly see with this blending test of the Tombow Irojiten that the yellow and blue has created a clear green, the yellow and red has created a nice orange and finally the blue and red has created a pleasant purple.
The final test is a sphere drawn using multiple layers of the Tombow Irojiten and using odourless mineral spirits to blend out the pigment. To see the results of this test, it is best to watch the video review I have added to YouTube, here you will see how the layers of Tombow Irojiten break down under the application of odourless mineral spirits.
Black Paper Test Of Tombow Irojiten
In this test, we simply take a look at how the Tombow Irojiten pencils perform on dark paper, this is not a test to determine if a pencil is good, bad or indifferent, this test simply determines whether or not the pencils are opaque or translucent.
Often in a set of pencils, there will be a mix of opaque and translucent pencils, some colored pencil artists prefer a certain type of pencil and this test simply helps to show you where the Tombow Irojiten lay in this scale. One thing to note about the Tombow Irojiten, there is no white pencil in the 100 range.
As I mentioned, I completed some artwork using the Tombow Irojiten colored pencils on Derwent Lightfast Paper, this combination of Tombow Irojiten colored pencils and Derwent Lightfast Paper was a match made in heaven, allowing me to create a piece of artwork that I was really happy with.
Finally for the performance of the Tombow Irojiten, I would like to mention that as I said with the Bristol Smooth paper, the Tombow Irojiten didn’t really work all that well and the same has to be said for most of the adult colouring books that I tested them on.
A lot of the adult colouring books that I have tested, sport reasonably smooth papers, unless you buy a slightly more expensive adult colouring book, for the most part, the paper will be of a lower quality, which is to be expected. However, that being said, the Tombow Irojiten Colored Pencils in my experience just don’t play well on such smooth paper.
Tombow Irojiten Prices and Sets
One of the biggest problems surrounding the Tombow Irojiten Colored Pencil when I first completed my review all those years ago, was the fact that pencils could not be purchased open stock, at least that was the case here in the UK. With the Tombow Irojiten being a Japanese pencil, a lot of artists who loved the pencils, either had to go without or purchase open stock pencils from friends and loved ones living in Japan and have the products sent over to them, which for anyone is an inconvenience.
Now, Emma from The Coloured Pencil Shop, based here in the UK but ships globally, sells the Tombow Irojiten Colored Pencils open stock, but she also sells the boxes. I will admit that whilst the Tombow Irojiten are definitely becoming much easier to buy here in the UK and US, there are still occasions were finding a set to buy is testing due to stock replenishments in this new age of COVID and global shipping restrictions.
Here in the UK, to purchase a set of the Tombow Irojiten, be it the Seascape, Rainforest or Woodland sets, you will pay approximately £59.49 per box from Amazon, however if you wanted to buy a box set from Emma at The Colored Pencil Shop, each box will cost approximately £47 also to purchase a single Tombow Irojiten open stock from The Coloured Pencil Shop, you will pay £2.10 per pencil.
To purchase any of the Tombow Irojiten sets in the US, again these prices are found on Amazon US, To purchase all three sets, there is a deal on Amazon now, so the Seascape, Woodlands and Rainforest sets, containing 90 pencils will cost you $96.79. Another offer is for Boxes 1 and 3, 60 pencils in total will cost $60 To purchase any of the boxes separately they will cost approximately $46.19
Finally for artists in the EU, unfortunately I was unable to locate any available sets, however, as always, as and when the sets become available I will of course upload the prices and links to them. Don’t forget failing the Amazon prices you can always check out stock with Emma at The Coloured Pencil Shop
TomBow Irojiten Lightfast Information
I have tried to locate specific lightfast information regarding the Tombow Irojiten, however I have been unable to do so. Because it is difficult to locate the information, I would guess that if they are lightfast tested, they are done in house as opposed to ASTM or Blue Wool.
When companies have their products tested in ASTM or Blue Wool, this is a big deal and will have cost the company a lot of money to have it done. Once they get their pencils tested in either of these standards it is a huge feather in their cap. So with that being said, if it is difficult to locate online or on the product themselves, information pertaining to ASTM or Blue Wool testing, then I think it is safe to assume they have not been tested. It is like an Olympic Gold Medal winner turning up to an interview after the Olympics for the athletes country news without the Medal, it is not going to happen because the athlete has worked hard to achieve this amazing accomplishment, so they are not going to hide the spoils of their hard work, dedication and effort.
I would suggest that whist the Tombow Irojiten Colored Pencils are beautiful pencils on the right paper, they are not the right pencils to complete artwork you are likely to sell the originals of. Uncertainty of the lightfast standards may cause problems for you later down the line should you sell a piece to a client.
Tombow Irojiten Conclusion
As I mentioned, I completed a review of the Tombow Irojiten Colored Pencils quite a few years ago, although the bones of the review haven’t changed that much from the first one, I have to admit that my understanding of this medium we all love so much has vastly improved over the past six years. My understanding of the importance your surface plays as to whether or not you are getting the best from your pencil has improved exponentially, so to has my collection of different papers to test pencils on.
Back when I first reviewed the Tombow Irojiten, I wasn’t confident enough to provide a sample of art with them, but this time I have and on the beautiful Derwent Lightfast Paper. Between using at the toothless surface of Bristol Smooth paper and the magical surface of the Derwent Lightfast Paper, the transformation of the Tombow Irojiten pencil is unparalleled.
There are factors colored pencil artist need to consider before buying the Irojiten, the presentation of the pencils is amazing, but the lightfast ratings are not there and the prices for the sets are a little bit high. That being said, back when I first reviewed the Irojiten, it was extremely difficult to buy them open stock, at least here in the UK and certain parts of the US, that is no longer the case thanks to Emma at The Colored Pencil Shop.
Don’t forget to see more of the Tombow Irojiten, check out my YouTube Video review of them, also you can check out my speed drawing of the botanical piece I completed with the Irojiten, I was very happy with the final artwork. Finally, if YouTube is not your thing, you can check out some images of the artwork process has been added to The Art Gear Guide, were you can click on the image and enlarge it to inspect at your own leisure, simply click and follow the relevant links.
